My Heart's Already Broken
by RetardedFish97
Summary: Under the cover of the Holby Riots, a drugged girl with pale skin and blode hair is arrested for attacking a police officer, she's sentenced to a year inside. A few weeks later, a dark skinned, dark haired girl arrives in Holby ED bleeding and injured. Zoe soon discovers two things about the girl: one, she's in danger, two, she isn't who she seems.
1. Chapter 1

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Hi! Have you read my last Casualty fic- Codes? This story doesn't follow on from it, but it took me ages to write and I'm pretty proud of it! But anyway- enjoy this, it follows the episode HolbyRiots and is about a girl who was arrested for her involvement, it'll make some sense if you haven't watched it, but here's where you can see it! (watch both episodes of HolbyRiots, please) **

** watch?v=Pho8EZgCp08**

**and**

** watch?v=by9urjziIfM**

**or**

** . /iplayer/episode/b01l0d7y/Casualty_Series_26_HolbyRiot_Part_1/**

**and**

** . /iplayer/episode/b01l9mgc/Casualty_Series_26_HolbyRiot_Part_2/**

**The Iplayer ones will expire!**

**Thanks, RFish xxx**

Dixie hurried into the ambulance, beside her husband Jeff. He pulled a oh-great,-here-we-go face, and she smiled at him:

"Not breathing, parentless young girl found lying in a pool of blood at 5 in the morning, great…"

The two set off down road after road, each wondering who the girl will be and how she'll be when they get there- Jeff decided to take bets.

"So… age?"

Dixie thought. "Sixteen?"

Jeff nodded- "nah, older! Um… race?"

"Jeffrey!" Dixie complained.

"It's fifty/fifty Dix! Go on!"

"Ugh, fine. White."

"Nah… black! There are no white people round here, haven't you noticed?"

Dixie shrugged, "Whatever. How about story?"

"Story?"

"How she ended up like that?"

"Erm, pissed?" Jeff suggested.

Dixie grinned with black humour, before nodding out the window at the high walls of Holby prison:

"Escaped convict?" she joked.

"Oh, yeah! They've been keeping the 14+ in with the well behaved adults, ever since the old prison got burned down in the Holby Riots!"

Then their thoughts turned to Scarlet, who'd been sentenced to a year in prison.

"I wonder how she's coping, poor love?" Dixie wondered.

"We can go visit her, if you want. Lloyd did yesterday, said she was handling it badly- she doesn't fit in there, it's not right, is it?"

"she did throw a brick at an officer, who then caught ON FIRE, Jeff. It's not like she didn't deserve it. But one year is a bit steep, after all, some of those hoodie clad yobs that smashed up the ambulance got a few months."

"Yeah, but they need to make an example…"

"By ruining her career? Surely there are plenty of lazy prats stealing for a living that they could do that to, not our Scarlet…" Dixie felt so sorry for Scarlet then, she almost cried.

"We'll go see her later, okay? But we're here- person who lost the most buys tonight's curry, deal?"

"Deal." Dixie nodded.

The scene was not a pretty one- the girl was lying face down in a pool of blood, with small, deep holes in her arm spouting blood, bruises on her arms and legs, and that's just what they could see, for the girl was wearing a mini skirt and pink cropped t-shirt. She was black, looked about eighteen and there was a bottle of Smirnoff, half empty, smashed on the ground beside her. She'd been sick.

"Large chicken tikka with a poppadum please…" Jeff grinned.

Dixie scowled.

"Right, where do we start?"

"Breathing?" Jeff suggested.

As Dixie tilted the chin of the girl, she coughed gently.

"My name's Dixie, I'm a paramedic. Can you tell us what happened love?"

The girl blinked, holding up her arm to see the cuts. "Oh, I was out drinking with mates… then as I walked home through a field I fell into a barbed wire fence, then erm… I guess I fell and… well, you the rest."

"Okay, love, well if we put you in the ambulance, because we need to get checked over- okay?"

The girl nodded, and followed them into the shining vehicle.

On the long journey back, Dixie tried to stem the flow of blood from the girl's arms.

"What's your name love?"

"Lily Macbeth…" the girl said in a strained voice. Dixie looked at her and noticed something, the girl was bleeding badly, from beneath her miniskirt.

"Erm, Love, can you tell me what that is?"

"What? Oh, that? Oh, I must… um… be on my period… oh, how embarrassing."

Dixie didn't believe her, not for one second. But she carried on asking questions. "Never mind, eh? So Lily, how old are you?"

"Nineteen." The girl answered.

"Okay… can you tell me what hurts?"

"My arms, obviously- my left leg. Oh, I think it's broken!" She groaned.

Dixie looked sympathetic, but they'd arrived at the ED, it wasn't her job any more.

Dixie and Jeff helped the girl into a wheelchair, which Big Mac then pushed inside. The two paramedics followed them in-

"Period my arse," Jeff murmured.

"I know. Should we go see what it really is?" Dixie replied.

"Okay, but I'm still getting that curry, deal?"

"I said deal, didn't I?" Dixie said, swatting him away, annoyed.

When they arrived in the room where Lily was being treated, they saw two things. One, Dr Hanna was meant to be in charge. Two, she very clearly wasn't. Lily was pressed defensively back against the metal sink, a tray of equipment was knocked over, and Lily was clutching a scalpel and holding it out towards Zoe. It wasn't so much threatening, as protective, like how dogs only attack when frightened. Fletch was watching, open mouthed and slightly useless. Jeff and Dixie ran in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa- what's going on here?" Dixie asked, hands out in front of her to protect herself and calm Lily.

"I was just trying to clean the wound," Dr Hanna huffed.

"Well I don't want you to!" Lily snapped, crying.

"Okay, Lily love. Put the scalpel down- but we really do need to clean it. Come on, it will sting a little bit- but you'll be alright, come on." Dixie guided the young girl to the bed, stroking her arm. The young girl sat down, and looked up at Dr Hanna-

"Sorry," she whispered.

Dr Hanna didn't know what to say. So, as per usual, she didn't. Instead, she began to talk to Dixie,

"So, what have we got?"

"Cuts up the arms and legs from barbed wire, pretty deep in places. Um, possible broken leg and slight bleeding from- well, you can see." Dixie explained, nodding at the pool of blood forming around the girl.

"Okay, let's get started…"

Dr Hanna looked at the bleeding arms again-

"Okay," She groaned, looking at the leg and seeing that it very clearly WAS broken, and looked awful. "We need to get that sorted, but as for this bleed-

"I told you, it's me period." Lily groaned, turning away from the doctor.

"Yeah, and I'm a gullible idiot," Dr Hanna murmured to Dixie.

"Leave it alone! Just fix the bloody leg, would you? I want to go home!" Lily growled.

"Hey! If you want my help then…"

"I don't!" The girl snapped.

"Then why are you here?" Dr Hanna asked.

"Because I can't go anywhere else with a leg like this, could I?" Lily snarled.

Dr Hanna gritted her teeth. "Fine- I'll get it seen to," she said, sickly sweet, as she left the room. Jeff rolled his eyes at Dixie and the two of them left.


	2. Chapter 2

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Hi! Thanks for your reviews so far- they do make me smile! **

Seeing Sam stood by reception, talking to Noel, Zoe walked up to her.

"Sam…"

Sensing the I'm-going-to-ask-an-irritating-question tone of Zoe's voice, Sam whipped round to face her.

"What?"

"You know that girl who they brought in this morning, Lily Macbeth?" Zoe tried to approach the request casually. Sam wasn't having any of it.

"Oh, no," she said, pushing past Zoe and heading to a private room where an elderly man lay, about to die of old age.

"Dixie told me. She's your problem, not mine!"

"Please Sam!" Zoe whined, "I'll take two of your patients, erm, take your spot if ever there's an outbreak of swine flu, work any night shifts you have this year- for god's sake, I'll BEG if I have to- Pleeeeaaaaasssseeeeee!"

Sam sighed and rolled her eyes, "No. But if you want help, why not get Lloyd or Tess to go with you?"

Zoe groaned, and walked in the direction of cubicles, where Lloyd was working.

"Lloyd- can you help me please?" she asked, peering round the curtains to see Lloyd sat chatting with Fletch and a patient.

"Yep, sure- where?" He replied, following Zoe to the room where Lily sat.

"Whoa, whoa…uh-uh." Lloyd realised where they were going.

"Uh- YES! C'mon," Zoe moaned, opening the door. Lily was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, _Great_!" Dr Hanna rolled her eyes. "We'd better go find her."

Lloyd nudged her, and pointed to a dripping trail of blood, leading to the corner of the room. There, the young girl lay, curled up into a ball and sobbing quietly.

Lloyd walked over to her.

"Lily- my name's Lloyd, I'm a nurse. We need to get you back up on the bed," he explained, trying to help the girl up. She pushed him away.

Zoe glared at her. "Come on, get up on the bed- or I'll have to call security," She threatened.

The mention of security sparked some kind of fear in the girl, and she scrambled up onto the bed. She didn't push Zoe away when she looked at the broken leg, or when she tried to heal the bleeding holes in her arms and legs. She still wouldn't let Zoe clean the wounds.

"I know you're scared, but I need to clean them, or they'll get infected," Zoe sighed.

The girl sobbed a little, and shook her head.

"But, we don't have to do that yet- do we, Dr Hanna?" Lloyd asked, soothingly.

Zoe gave in and shook her head. Her attention turned to the other source of blood-

"Lily- I just don't think that's period. Can I take a look?"

"No. It's period, I keep telling you," the girl argued.

"I can send Lloyd out the room?" Zoe wondered if this was the cause.

"No… please- just fix my leg, then let me clean up a bit…. Please."

Zoe looked worried- why would the girl be hiding so much about her injuries?

"Lloyd, can I talk to you outside?"

When the door clicked shut behind them, Zoe caught sight of Dixie and Jeff, and walked over to talk with them.

"You alright love?" Dixie asked.

"Not really, no." Zoe sighed, letting Lloyd take over.

"It's Lily Macbeth- she's not letting anyone clean the puncture wounds in her arms and legs and she keeps insisting the other blood is her period- but it's very clearly not," he explained.

"No, it's not. Do you reckon it's a miscarriage?" Dixie asked, aghast.

"No- she's not the right shape," Zoe explained.

"Right- so, what do we do now?" Lloyd asked.

"Well, I guess we treat the leg and keep her in for a bit. Other than that, there's not much we can do," Zoe pointed out.

And so that's what they did.

When they'd finished treating the leg, Zoe began to question the girl again.

"Lily- we know the bleed isn't period, can you tell me what it is?" The doctor asked.

"No!" the girl snapped.

"Come on, Lily, we need to know this!"

"No you don't! Please! It's just period…" the girl began to sob.

"Well, it isn't. I know what period looks like and that just isn't- Lily, have you been hurt?"

"Yes… but that's none of your business…" the girl sobbed again.

Zoe looked concerned- if the girl didn't tell her, with the amount of blood she might lose, it would be dangerous… very dangerous.

"Well, I think you'll find that it IS my business. Please, Lily, it's very important that you tell my why you're bleeding!"

"I can't…" the girl cried.

"Why, Lily, why can't you tell me?"

"Because it will start all over again!" the girl cried, breaking into louder sobs.

"What will, Lily, what are you so afraid of?"


	3. Chapter 3

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Wow! You guys are amazing! One chapter, and already three reviews, two follows and one favourite- thanks to ShootingTheStars (cool name, by the way,) Hermione Lumos (Harry Potter RULES!,) BeethovenRIP (another cool name,) and XxTassBxX (another cool name!)**

**Love Fanfiction and the support and advice-**

**RetardedFish97 xx**

The young girl slumped in Zoe's arms, and fell backwards onto the bed- she had fainted. Zoe woke her from her daze and laid her down in the bed, pulling the covers up round the girl's broken frame.

"Lily- we can help you, you know- if someone's hurting you, we can stop them…"

"No…you…can't!" The girl forced out between sobs, "No…one…can!"

"We could get the police involved- get help for you," Zoe explained.

"No!" the girl cried, sinking further into the bed, under the white covers.

"Okay, then- how about family?" Zoe asked.

The girl sat up and wiped her eyes, looking at Zoe.

"No… thanks, we had an argument- I've lived on my own since I was seventeen- sometimes with mates, but I lost track of them over time."

Zoe looked sympathetic. "Oh, well- can you tell me?"

"No…" the girl sighed, crying more gently as she rolled onto her side, to face away from Zoe, who then left the room.

The Doctor was heading to find Lloyd, when she was distracted by a crowd of people- patients and staff, around the telly. On screen, was a photo of a blonde girl, with blue eyes and pale skin, out of it on drugs, in a police photo. Zoe turned to Big Mac, at the centre of the crowd-

"What's this about then?" She asked.

"Oh, er- that girl up there escaped a youth offenders last night- she's fourteen- name of Leila Heart, apparently- she got arrested in the riots, for attacking a plain clothes officer. She kept saying she was not guilty, even said the officer raped 'er! But she was out of it- pissed and on drugs, she was! Oh, look 'ere, it's 'er cellmate- oh!" Big Mac stopped, noticing who was onscreen. Scarlet.

They listened intently, as Scarlet said-

"I don't know where Leila is, I'm sorry."

That was it. They could see that she'd been crying, as shiny trails ran down her face. She had cuts and bruises on her frail, thin arms and neck. Scarlet was being hurt in there, and none of them could stand it.

When the image returned to the girl, there was a feeling that Zoe could not shift. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but it was there. Just then, Lloyd came up behind her, a shining tear on his cheek. Zoe steered him from the crowd, and Tess saw the pair. Wrapping her arm round Lloyd's shoulders, she steered him into a staffroom, and Zoe followed behind them.

"How's she holding up?" Tess asked, sitting across a coffee table from Lloyd, as Zoe perched awkwardly on the arm of Tess' chair.

"She says well- but she's thin, and she keeps crying," Lloyd mumbled.

"Maybe she's just upset? It doesn't mean she's in any danger!"

"With a tearaway drug addict as a cellmate?" Lloyd asked, sarcastically.

"Lloyd, that's not fair. The girl was fifteen and very frightened." Tess pointed out, firmly.

Zoe thought about this for a moment.

"Yeah- she might have been innocent, for all we know! And besides, you can talk to Scarlet- when's the next visiting hours?"

"Tonight." Lloyd replied. He never missed a chance to visit Scarlet- for he still loved her deeply. His parents objected to this, but eventually had come to terms with the fact that she'd made a mistake, and Lloyd would not stop loving her for that.

"Well, ask her then!" Zoe suggested.

"I guess so, but what if she won't tell me?" Lloyd looked worried.

"Lloyd," Tess spoke in a soothing voice, "Scarlet's stronger than she looks, and she's very likeable. She's not exactly going to be a target, is she?"

"But she'll never be a nurse again…" Lloyd rested his head in his hands.

"Says who, Lloyd? Nick and I have discussed this, and Scarlet will have a job here waiting for when she gets out, if she wants it."

Lloyd looked up at Tess.

"Thanks, Tess," he smiled, leaving the room to return to cubicles.

"Now, Zoe, anything I can help _you_ with?" Tess joked.

Zoe wondered whether she could trust Tess, and relay her fears about Lily to her.

"Erm, yes, actually Tess- Lily Macbeth, a patient of mine, she's frightened of something, and I can't work out what. She's got a bleed she insists is period and puncture marks on her arms and legs, supposedly from barbed wire, that she won't let me clean! I just want to do more to help her, and I don't know how! But she's scared Tess, really scared."

Tess took in Zoe's words, then looked the worried doctor in the eye, saying:

"Keep her in for a few days, if the bleed is worrying you, and see if she opens up," Tess suggested. Zoe nodded and left the room, Tess' gaze following her.

"Me? Oh, I'm fine…" she joked to herself, before leaving to help out with patients here, there and everywhere.

Zoe sat on the end of Lily's bed, and the young girl looked up to see her.

"Hey," she whispered.

Zoe looked at her, smiling slightly, "Hey."

Lily looked at Zoe, tilting her head to one side. It was a look that felt so judgmental that Zoe flinched. Then the young girl spoke to her.

"My arms really hurt- would cleaning them make them better?"

Zoe nodded, and the girl slid down into the warm hospital bed, arms outstretched.

"Okay," she whispered.

Tentatively, Zoe wiped the biggest pool of blood from the girls arm, revealing a large, deep wound. The Doctor continued to wipe the different blood spots away, then stopped. She looked at the girl's skin. What was once black skin was now deathly pale.

The girl wasn't black after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Hi! Thanks for all the reviews! I hope this chapter clears things up a bit- ok, a lot- but there is still A LOT more to come! I keep having new ideas… **

**RetardedFish97 xxx**

Zoe gasped, as the skin beneath the wipe she'd been using turned pale white. The girl looked down at it sadly.

"I didn't want you to see, but it hurt… it hurt so much!"

Zoe looked at the girl, and back down at the arm.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Erm, a lot of fake tan?" the girl whispered.

"I can see that, but why?"

"Um…" the girl didn't answer. Suddenly, something clicked in Zoe's mind. She looked the girl in her hazel eyes, and saw that they were in fact tinted contact lenses. The girl knew that Zoe knew.

Zoe looked at her. "Lily, is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Lily looked Zoe in the eye, and whispered-

"No… I can't, you'll never… no."

"Lily, please- I promise you that nothing bad will happen to you, not here… can you please tell me?"

Lily looked down at the bed for a second, then removed the contact lenses from her eyes, revealing two, cornflower blue tinted irises. They were pretty and striking.

"Why would you hide those eyes, hey? They're much nicer than the hazel ones." Zoe smiled, kindly.

The girl didn't say a word, she simply took the packet of wipes Zoe was offering and cleaned the dark colour from her arms, neck and face. Underneath, she had a pale, English-rose complexion, with creamy skin, dusty pink cheeks and deep red lips. She was beautiful, and her dark hair made her look like snow white. Then she began to tear her hair out.

The girl removes extension after extension, revealing strawberry blonde hair.

"I was going to dye it…" she whispered.

But Zoe didn't answer her. For, by looking the girl up and down, she saw who she really was; pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes- blue eyes that were much more alert than the last time she'd seen her, blue eyes that were sober… and very, very frightened.

"Leila?" she whispered.

The young girl nodded.

Zoe stood up straight, and looked around her for help, "Where's Nick when I need him?" she thought, confused and worried. But she had to do something, she needed someone calm to help her- and someone slightly scary or authoritative. Stepping outside the room, Zoe saw Sam, Tess and Lloyd talking in a corner.

"So, this missing girl, what do you think?" Lloyd asked Sam, neither of them had noticed Zoe walking towards them.

"I think that, if she was innocent, she'd be better off staying and protesting. But, she's young, and no one listens to young people, especially not those on drugs… and she could be scared, very scared- I would be!"

"Why's that?" Tess asked.

"She's fifteen, was attacked by an OFFICER- the same officer who works in the youth offenders she's staying in? How could she speak up?" Sam explained.

"It makes you wonder what she was thinking when she got out- and how she did it!" Lloyd smiled.

By then, Zoe was stood behind him.

"Well, you can ask her yourself…" she said through gritted teeth, turning to return to Leila's room- knowing the three would follow her.

When they arrived in the room, the three people stood behind Zoe gasped, but reacted very differently after that. Sam stayed quiet, assessing the girl and her behaviour with silent confidence, relying on her instincts. Tess moved forward, seeing that the girl was distressed, and wrapped her arm around the girl's shanking shoulders; she handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes. Lloyd stood still, frozen to the spot, and whispered a single word-

"Scarlet…"

"Leila, these are a few of my colleagues- Tess, Dr Nichols and Lloyd…"

"Backup," the girl said, bluntly.

Zoe nodded her head, and the five of them settled into different positions: Sam stood by the door, detached but watching- judging each word the girl said; Lloyd stood, arms crossed, behind Zoe and Tess, protective and intrigued; Leila sat on the bed, propped up by pillows; Tess sat beside her, an arm draped comfortingly round her shoulders; Zoe sat in a seat nearby, and wondered what to ask the girl. She decided to start from the beginning:

"Leila- we're going to have to call the police…"

"no…" the girl whispered.

Tess looked apologetically at the girl, and Sam stood in the doorway. Sensing the movement, her three companions realised what she was indicating- that the girl was going to run. Zoe decided to try and calm the girl down-

"But, if you tell us what happened, there might be something we could do to help prove it…"

"Like what?" the girl whispered.

Tess took over the questioning, "If there's something medically wrong with you, then we can keep you here for longer- and if someone's hurt you, we can probably prove it."

The girl relaxed a bit.

Then the girl looked up at Lloyd.

"I know you…" she whispered, "You're Lloyd. Scarlet has a photo of you pinned to her wall- she talks about you a lot… I think she wonders if you still love her."

Lloyd stepped nearer to the bed, and eventually sat on the end of it.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She's doing okay. The officers don't mind her so much- they're normally quite kind. The others… they don't see much of her, or me… we normally stay in our… 'room.'"

Lloyd nodded, "Thank you."

Zoe was getting frustrated by the lack of answers.

"Leila- please, just tell us what happened!"

"You know… well, kind of. He did attack me, and I wasn't drunk or on drugs."

"They found them both in your system at the time…" Sam spoke up, for the first time.

"Yeah? Well when he caught me, he pressed a needle into my arm- see?"

She showed them a small, pinprick of a scar on her arm, near her wrist.

"And then… well, you know. But all the way through it, I didn't stop fighting, he was covered in bruises, bleeding, and I was dressed and running, when the police came, riot shields and all. They caught me, and no matter what I said, they didn't believe me." The girl began to sob, and Zoe reached out to hold her hand. Sam moved closer to the small, shaking figure lay in a hospital bed, and saw in her eyes and shape what she'd seen in the eyes of civilians when she was an army medic- Fear. And with that fear, came the confirmation that the girl was absolutely telling the truth. She sat in another chair, and pulled it close to the bed, on the opposite side from Tess and Zoe.

Zoe looked around her, and sensed absolute support for the girl.

"We believe you," she said, "We'll help you."


	5. Chapter 5

**My Heart's Already Broken 5**

**Hiya! Retarded Fish here! I update all the time when I get a story idea, and then get a new idea, then write that one down, then… well, you get the idea. I kind of have a new idea already! S:**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Leila was shivering, crying quietly in the bed. Lloyd and Tess had needed to see to other patients, but Leila WAS Zoe's patient- and Sam didn't think Zoe was strong enough to speak her mind. Not to the police officers who were currently stood in the doorway. One was a kindly-looking woman; the other was a frowning, serious-looking bloke. Both were in their mid-thirties. The man produced a pair of shining, silver handcuffs, but Sam was having none of that.

"No you don't." she said, glaring at him.

"Dr Nichols- it's not up to you whether or not the girl is handcuffed…" He snapped, glaring back.

Refusing to let him win, Sam said, through gritted teeth-

"Actually, I think you'll find it is up to me. As you can see, Leila has many cuts and bruises on her arms, some quite severe- the handcuffs could severely aggravate the injuries. Therefore, you may _not _handcuff her." Sam scowled.

Zoe backed her up with a simple sentence-

"This is currently my ED and while the girl is in my care, the handcuffs remain off."

So that was that.

"When will she be okay to go?" The female officer asked, more gently this time.

"We're not sure- it depends on how she is." Zoe replied.

Sam nodded in agreement, and the two PCs soon realised that they weren't going to get anywhere- but they couldn't resist one last try.

"Leila- if you tell the truth and admit to it, the judge is likely to take a less… dim view of your little escapade."

The girl looked up at him, and spoke calmly.

"I didn't do it. I had to find someone who believed me, so I ran away."

The female officer looked down at Leila, who- in her frail, tiny state, did not look like someone capable of randomly attacking an officer. But then again, neither did the girl's cellmate, she thought.

When the two officers had left, the two doctors turned to their patient.

"If you tell us exactly what happened, we can find evidence to prove it." Sam pointed out.

Zoe nodded, and sat on a chair close to the girl, and pushed the girl's hair out of her eyes. Sam sat on the end of the bed, and took the girl's hand in her own. Leila sucked in a deep breath, and spoke quietly.

"Ever since my arrest, I've been trying to tell people that I didn't do it- Scarlet believed me. In fact, I showed her the mark from the injection, and she helped me wrap it in something- to keep it clean. But, anyway, at midnight, I left Scarlet asleep. I'd been given some chewing gum the night before, by a friendly male officer- I'd been crying, and he'd used it as a bribe- I jammed it in the lock before they shut our door at night. It didn't lock when they turned the key. There are some broken security cameras- you just walk by them. Then, someone threw me a rope, over the prison walls. I don't know their name- they were an anti-authority activist or something. Then, when I was at the top, the barbed wire got me and I fell. Whoever it was took the rope and handed me a bag of stuff, then ran."

"What stuff?" Sam asked, intrigued. This was like a real-life documentary on TV.

"A bottle of super-dark face tan, five pairs of brown contacts, black hair extensions, some permanent black hair dye, a passport and birth certificate with my new identity, an envelope with an address on it, containing a house key and £5000. When I went to the address there was a note on the table, saying it was my 'new home.' I took a shower, changed into some of the clothes in the wardrobe, and tried to walk to the hospital. Then, erm, I passed out."

Sam and Zoe looked at each other, speechless. Sam nodded to the door, and the two left to speak.

"What do you think?" Zoe asked.

"I think that she's brave- to trust a stranger so entirely. I also think that she's stupid. Running away wasn't going to solve anything."

"Yes, but do you still believe her?" Zoe sighed, exasperated.

"Yeah, but something's scaring her- and she's not going to tell anyone soon," Sam sighed.

"Okay, well, help me ask her?" Zoe wheedled.

"Erm… no, sorry" Sam said.

"Why?"

"I'm going on holiday."

"You never go on holiday," Dr Hanna scowled, distrusting.

"I do now- Mike's taking me."

Zoe sighed. Sam had met her boyfriend, Mike, a few months ago. Dylan and Zoe had been dating ever since, but while Sam got exotic holidays and expensive boxes of chocolate, Zoe got walks in the park with a dog and the occasional bar of Cadburys.

"Oh, right. Going anywhere nice?"

"No, he won't tell me…" she explained, smiling.

Zoe shrugged her shoulders at Sam's sudden girly attitude.

"When are you going?"

"Tonight…"

"er, Sam, there's a little, much-hated holiday ritual called packing, you know!"

"I know. I packed yesterday."

Zoe scowled. Seeing her face, Sam smiled.

"Dylan still lets the dog sleep in the bed, doesn't he?"

Zoe nodded.

"And sit up at the table?"

Zoe nodded again.

"And he takes the dog everywhere, doesn't he?"

Zoe tilted her head up to face the ceiling.

"Okay, okay- enough! Point taken, he's not very good at dates…"

Sam smiled, and, seeing Mike stood in the doorway, left with him- Leaving Zoe to try and save a girl they both thought was innocent from returning to prison.


	6. Chapter 6

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Heya! So happy to read all of your reviews, they do make me smile! Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**RetardedFish97 x**

Sam arrived at the busy airport with her boyfriend, Mike. Wheeling her suitcase behind her, she follows him through security and into a departure lounge full of people. She gritted her teeth then- crowded flights, ugh. Mike them a couple of seats, and sat with his arm around her until the plane arrived. She rested her head on his chest and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Zoe was had finished work at the ED. Just as she was about to leave, Dylan ran up behind her.

"Zoe- I was wondering… if you… wanted to come round to mine tonight?" he asked

She smiled and nodded, and followed him out the ED, saying-

"I'll just go home first," she explained, as she turned her back on him and headed to the car.

"Oh, okay…" Dylan called,

Then, lowering his voice so Zoe couldn't hear, murmured "Strange woman…"

Sam was still asleep when it was time to go on the plane. Mike woke her, and she allowed herself to be steered onto the plane and dropped into a seat, with her eyes still half-shut. When in the seat, she allowed Mike to pull her seatbelt across her lap, and fell asleep once more. When she awoke a few hours later, Mike had whispered in a calming voice-

"Morning."

Realising for the first time where she was, Sam sat bolt upright, and looked around herself in amazement. She'd never flown in a public plane before- always army vehicles, but she was pretty sure she wasn't in economy. Mike leant closer to her, whispering-

"I had to make sure our first holiday started and ended perfectly, didn't I?"

She looked around herself once more, and saw a hostess, carrying two glasses of champagne, headed towards them.

"Where are we?" Sam turned to Mike.

"Oh, I don't know… what were those tickets again? Oh, that's it!" Sam punched him playfully.

"We're in first class." He finally explained.

Zoe drove to Dylan's house, dressed up and with her makeup redone. When she arrived, Dylan opened the door, clinging onto Dervla's lead.

"Ah, erm, Zoe," he began, pulling the dog behind him.

"Come in," he said, leading her through to the dining room.

On the table, sat two plates of Chinese takeaway, and a dog bowl… Zoe rolled her eyes. When Dylan had got Dervla seated, the three of them began to eat. Dylan's only saving grace was that he had taught the dog table manners. Dylan looked across at Zoe, and tried to make conversation.

"So, Zoe- how was your day?"

"Pretty bad, actually Dylan," Zoe scowled at him.

"Oh, erm… okay," Dylan and Zoe sat, eating, while and awkward silence filled the room, only to be broken by Dervla's noisy eating. Eventually, Dylan said something right.

"You look nice Zoe," He said, nodding, "oh, silly me- drink?" he asked, producing a bottle of champagne.

Zoe smiled for the first time that day, and rested her knife and fork on her empty place.

"Not so bad yourself! And yes, please," Zoe said, holding up her glass.

Dylan filled it with champagne, and the two- minus Dervla, who was sulking in her bed, sat together on the sofa. Dylan looked at Zoe- "I don't know if this is any good, but I asked Sam and Tess, and they said you liked these, so…"

He produced a large box of chocolates, and handed them over to her, awkwardly. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, they are, thanks." And the two settled down to watch a decent movie.

Meanwhile, Sam was about an hour away from her holiday destination. Mike handed her a golden envelope, with her name written on it.

"You're destination, madam," he smiled.

She gave him a sarcastic, smiling look, and opened the shining envelope. Looking at it, she gasped:

"We're going to Madagascar?"

Mike turned to face her fully, and pushed her hair out of her eyes, to explain.

"Yes. There's this resort called Hazo, which has ecologically friendly 'pods' that are made out of one way glass- we can see out, but nothing can see in. The pods are spread out among the trees- they're attached to the higher branches, and have rope ladders so you can get into them. You can choose from three to five stars- I got us a five star pod. It may not sound like much now Sam, but it's really amazing!" he enthused.

Sam took the brochure he was offering her, and the more she read, the better it sounded.

Zoe and Dylan meanwhile, were very, very drunk.

"I can't drive home like this!" Zoe giggled.

"You could always stay here!" Dylan offered.

Zoe sat upright on the sofa. "Thanks… but oh, god! I've got to work tomorrow!" she groaned.

"Well, that's okay, I guess…"

The two continued to talk, until Zoe fell asleep on the sofa they were sat on. Dylan found a blanket, and threw it over her, before settling into the sofa opposite, so he could stay with her.

In Madagascar, Sam was having a great time. They'd arrived at their five star pod in a horse drawn carriage, settled in perfectly and had an amazing lunch. Afterwards, Mike led her to an animal sanctuary, where guests could help care for the rescue animals, including releasing them into the wild. They got to hold and feed a couple of baby lemurs- one of which sat on Sam's shoulder and tried to make a bed in her hair. Laughing, Sam, Mike and the ranger who was helping them tried to detangle the little guy from her long blonde hair. When they'd finished there, the two of them went on a long, guided walk through the rainforest, spotting animals and reaching a safe lake to swim in. Mike had tried to dive in and ended up making a gargantuan splash, while Sam did a graceful dive in after him. Mike laughed, and pulled her underwater. The two emerged, laughing and splashing.

"Show off!" Mike laughed, when they got out the water.

Sam reached out as if to hug him- then pushed him back into the water.

Meanwhile, Zoe had woken up, with Dylan on the sofa across from her… and Dervla on her face. Pushing the unwelcome dog off, she reached over to wake Dylan.

"Dylan! C'mon, get up! We're late…" Dylan woke, with his head in agony.

While the two of them stumbled to work, heads in agony, in Holby… Sam and Mike climbed a tree, laughing in Madagascar.


	7. Chapter 7

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Hi! Thanks for all the reviews so far- I feel all popular! Thanks for all your lovely reviews- you make me smile!**

**-RetardedFish97**

When she arrived at the ED, Zoe could sense there was something wrong. Big Mac and Noel were arguing with two officers, as they tried to lead someone away… it was Leila.

"No you don't!" Zoe shouted, running forward. Seeing the handcuffs entwining the girl's wrists, anger boiled up inside her.

"I thought I told your lot- NO handcuffs, NO arresting, and NO policemen in what is currently MY ED!" She ranted, standing between the officers and Leila.

"She's right fellas- now, get those handcuffs off the girl, eh?" Big Mac said.

The two officers removed the handcuffs with an angry look, and stormed out of the glass doors, leaving the hospital.

Turning to the sobbing girl, Zoe put her arm around the girl's shoulders, and steered her back to bed. Feeling safe, for the first time that day, the girl looked up at Zoe.

"They were trying to arrest me…"

"I kind of guessed that," Zoe smiled grimly.

A few minutes later, Tess walked in.

"Hi- I heard what happened, just thought I'd pop in and see you were okay!" She smiled, looking the young girl in the eye, with sincere kindness.

"I'm okay," the girl nodded, smiling slightly.

Tess sat on the end of the bed, and Zoe pulled her chair closer to where the girl lay.

"If you talk to us, we can stop them coming in," Tess sighed, trying to tempt the girl into helping them. Constant raids by the police were not the best of fun, especially without Mr Jordan, or Yvonne- who at the very least would listen to them before she acted.

"I can't… I just can't…" the girl whispered.

"Why can't you? Tell us why," Zoe pleaded.

"No… I can't, please- just don't ask- please…"

"Then we have no cause to keep you here- we'll call the police first thing tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Lloyd was visiting Scarlet. Sat across the table from her, unable to do any more than hold her hand, he felt trapped. She was crying again- she always cried when he visited.

"Hey- come on, It's not so bad," he sighed, stroking her arm.

"No- but I can't see you!" she sobbed.

"Yes you can- Scarlet, I'm here now!" he smiled.

"Not properly, not without being watched and listened to!"

"It's okay- but that roommate of yours, she's at the ED- Zoe's looking after her," he explained, to tempt Scarlet into talking about other things.

"She is? Wow- how is she?"

"Not too good. A broken leg, cuts and bruises- blood she insists is period by quite clearly isn't…"

"It can't be! But that's been going on a while-the bleeding, but never something that strong. Have you heard what happened?"

"Yeah- and we believe her. If she'd tell Dr Hanna what the bleed was, we could prove what had been happening." Lloyd explained.

For a moment they were silent, thinking- then Scarlet spoke-

"Maybe… I've seen her taking these pills, in her cell. I didn't let her know I'd seen it, but afterward she disappeared for ten minutes, and when she came back she was pale, really pale," Scarlet explained.

"Do you know what they were called?" Lloyd asked.

"No- but I know where she kept them."

"Then for god's sake Scarlet, tell someone! Not the bloke who she beat up, someone else…"

"There is no one else," she hissed, angrily, "It's only ever him!"

"So tell someone now!" He hissed back, nodding at a young looking, female officer.

Scarlet walked up to her and began to speak. The next thing Lloyd saw, was his girlfriend being led away by a police officer- did he have to go through this many more times?

Meanwhile, back at the ED, Tess had left Zoe to speak with the girl, because she had heard the phone ring. When she picked up the receiver, she was startled to hear the panic and excitement in Lloyd's voice.

"Tess? It's Lloyd- I'm in prison," he began.

"What have you done now?" Tess sighed.

"Nothing- I'm here visiting Scarlet. We've just discovered something very interesting to do with Leila."

"Go on," Tess demanded.

"Scarlet found a packet of drugs in the cell they share- she handed them over to a female officer who, get this- is going to re-examine the case."

"How come?"

"The pills turn out to have a very interesting quality, that may just explain the bleed," Lloyd explained.

"Which is?"

"Tell you later- oh, and Tess- if Scarlet cooperates with the enquiries, and continues to behave as she has been, they think she'll be out by the end of next month!" Lloyd laughed, sounding ecstatic.

"That's great news! See you soon," Tess hung up.

When the officer arrived, Lloyd in tow, they were greeted by Zoe and Tess, who blocked to doorway to the girl's room.

"We've told her that you're re-examining the case against her, she's in a rather frail state but has agreed to talk," Tess said.

"Just be kind, she's been through a lot," Zoe said, leading the officer through.

The young girl was sat upright in bed, but when she saw the pills, she cowered away. On seeing her sheer fear, the police officer sat on the end of the bed, and offered the packet to Dr Hanna- who, upon reading the label, gasped.

"Who gave these to you?" She asked, shocked and concerned.

The policewoman joined in.

"Who, Leila? And why? Tell me- it's important," she explained, a sincere tone to her voice.

"Was it him, Leila? Was it the man who claimed you attacked him?" Zoe questioned.

The girl nodded.

"Leila- these drugs cause miscarriages- did you know that?"

Another nod.


	8. Chapter 8

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**15 reviews! So excited! Thanks to everyone that has reviewed! **

**-RetardedFish97**

The girl burst out crying, and suddenly, things seemed to shift, to change. The police officer took the girl's hand in her own, and looked into her eyes.

"We can stop this. But I need you to tell me… us, everything," she explained.

Zoe and Tess nodded- Tess sat on a chair by Leila's head, stroking her hair, Zoe stood behind the officer.

Tess took the drug packet, which was left near the end of the bed, into her hands, and read the name. As she did, the officer spoke again.

"We need to get some kind of DNA identification, but how? It would have been washed away, and with no baby…"

"There's still a baby," Tess interrupted, a grim note to her voice.

The occupants of the room looked at her, confused and intrigued.

"I've seen a case of someone taking this drug before. She was Indian, and the baby was conceived out of wedlock. With strong, traditionalist parents, she took the drug to hide her pregnancy. But the baby was still born, a few days after she'd taken the drug- it kills it, but it doesn't get rid of it…" Tess' voice trailed off, as she realised something. Zoe had realized it too.

"You've been at the ED for a week now, Leila- where's the baby?" Zoe asked.

Watching silently as the girl ducked under the bed, and pulled out a paper bowl, containing the baby- tiny and dead.

Tess saw it, and saw the girl's tears. She took the bowl away, handing it to Zoe, who took it and left it by the sink in the corner, before returning to the girl's bedside. The PC had turned rather green, and Zoe offered her an empty bowl, which she gladly took and threw up into. Leila looked at her nervously.

"Will you still help me?" she whispered.

The woman nodded and smiled.

"Now we can prove you right or wrong."

Seeing the girl's shoulders relax for the first time, Zoe smiled, and walked round to sit opposite Tess, and comfort the girl with soothing whispers.

When the PC left, talking frantically into her communicator, the girl looked up at Zoe and Tess.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed frantically.

"It's okay, shh, it's okay…" Zoe whispered, taking the girl's hand in her own.

"No, it's not! I killed my baby! My little, innocent baby… I let him make me kill my baby!" the girl began to cry out in howling, angered bursts, burying her face into her pillow to dilute the sound. Zoe and Tess looked at each other helplessly for a moment, before Tess left to fetch Mr Jordan, and Zoe began to whisper soothingly to the girl. She ran her fingers through her hair, and tried to take her mind off it.

"Come on- they'll be re-examining your case now, you'll be here until they do. Anyone can see how ill you are. Tess returned with Mr Jordan, who took the bowl, baby and all, covering it with another pot and taking it out the room.

"Is there anything you'd like?" Tess asked, smiling kindly.

"Can I have a drink?"

Tess nodded and left the room, returning a few minutes later with a tray holding three empty cups and a jug of water, with ice and lemon.

Smiling, Tess poured the girl a cup and handed it over. She sipped it, gratefully-

"Thanks," she whispered.

Tess poured two more glasses of water, and gave one to Zoe, before sitting on the bed, holding the other with both hands.

Meanwhile, Sam and Mike were enjoying another day in Madagascar, swimming in the lake, then climbing a mountain. When they arrived at the very top, they spent a while taking in the views, before heading to meet a tribe, and buying some souvenirs to take home. Sam had brought something for everyone who worked at the ED. Just as she'd been about to leave, Sam remembered the girl who escaped prison, and brought her a wooden bead necklace. When she told Mike about the girl, he'd smiled and hugged her.

"You're so lovely," he whispered, before bursting out laughing. She punched him playfully on the arm, and they laughed all the way back to their pod.

A while later, Nick Jordan re-entered the room where Leila was staying, to find Tess, Leila and Zoe all laughing. He'd been a bit depressed ever since he'd had to leave Yvonne at the specialist hospital-but she had improved, and he couldn't leave the ED forever- but seeing the three, smiling faces cheered him up.

"Are you all completely mad?"

Zoe shook her head, laughing.

"Drunk?" he frowned, jokingly.

"No! I'm outraged you'd even ask such a thing!" Tess smiled, leaving Leila in another fit of giggles.

And so, the three lay there happy and laughing, thinking that nothing could improve their moods. They were wrong.

Noel walked into the room, smiling-

"Mr Jordan, its Yvonne- she's made a lot of progress since you left, and she'll be returning home at the end of this week!"


	9. Chapter 9

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! It's so nice to hear what you guys think!**

**-RetardedFish97**

When Yvonne did return home, the first thing she did was visit the ED, to thank Nick, Jeff and Dixie. As she entered the glass, swinging doors, she saw Jeff and Dixie, sat at a counter in the hospital canteen, eating a plate of chips each, and drinking a coffee. As she approached, Dixie looked up and smiled at her:

"Superintendent Rippon! I'm glad to see you're okay, love. Can I get you something?"

Dixie nodded to the counter, where they were serving food and drink.

"Erm, a coffee would be lovely. But I just wanted to thank you both- if it wasn't for you I don't think I'd be alive and…"

Yvonne's sentence was cut short by Nick.

"Yvonne!" he called, dashing over and enveloping her in a careful hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered into her hair, crying gently. Holding her at arm's length to look her in the eye, Nick asked:

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks- I'm back at work tomorrow," she sighed, half pleased, half annoyed.

"But… An officer has informed me of a reinvestigation involving the ED?"

"Ah, yes," Nick sighed, ushering the superintendent towards Leila's room.

As they pass Zoe in the corridor, she turns and runs back to her patient's room, grabbing Tess along the way.

"What was all that about?" Yvonne asked, bemused.

"I'm afraid that some members of my staff have become rather protective of their patient…"

"Oh- after the baby?" Yvonne asked.

"Yes, she's been quite distressed, so be… gentle," Nick nodded.

Yvonne rolled her eyes at him. She didn't need him to tell her that.

Zoe and Tess were placed protectively around the bed; Tess was sat on the end, holding the girl's hand, while Zoe sat in a chair next to the girl's head.

"Leila Heart? My name's Superintendent Rippon and…"

Leila's eyes widened.

"No…" she whispered, turning to Zoe.

"You said… you promised!" she began to struggle, lashing out at Zoe. Frowning, Dr Hanna grabbed the girl's wrists and held them together. Then, seeing how much this resembled handcuffs around the girl's wrists, she dropped them and looked Leila in the eye.

"Leila, Superintendent Rippon isn't here to take you away, are you?" she turned to Yvonne for help.

Yvonne shook her head.

"No, of course not- Leila, I'm here to try and help you. I've made the checks on the baby top priority, and they'll need your DNA, so…"

Reaching up to her head, Leila pulled out three strands of hair, and offered them to the superintendent, who held out a clear, plastic bag for the girl to put them into.

"Okay- thank you," the superintendent smiled and left.

When she had gone, Nick looked at Zoe, frowning.

"Outside, please…" he ordered, and Zoe followed him out. Leila looked nervously after her, and Tess shot her a pitying look. Before exiting the room, Zoe pulled an exaggerated scared face, making the two laugh and smile- hearing the laughter made Nick frown more.

"Zoe, I may have only been back for a week, but that's long enough for me to see that you're blocking the police at every move," he growled.

"Yes!" Zoe snapped, "Because THEY keep trying to arrest an innocent girl!"

Nick was enraged.

"Dr Hanna- if you continue to show me, and the police, as little respect as you are now, I will look after Leila myself- is that clear?"

"Yes, Nick…"

"That's Mr Jordan to you," he frowned, walking off.

Zoe re-entered to room, feeling deflated, like a school child who'd been told off for a missing homework. She relayed this feeling to Tess and Leila. Leila grinned and said,

"How many times have I felt like that?"

"What was the last time?" Tess asked.

"Erm, that would probably be just before the riots…"

"What did you do?"

"Erm- well, there was this girl who'd been making my life hell for a while. So I decided to play her at her own game, scare her out of ever doing it again."

"So?" Zoe asked, intrigued.

"_So_ I glued her PE kit to the roof."

"That's not so bad, I mean, surely someone could have reached it down?" Tess pointed out.

"Not when I glued it to the roof of our sports hall- which is about three times my height."

"Ah," Zoe smiled, "but how did you get it up there?"

"Soaked it in glue and sort of… threw it?"

A few minutes of laughing and school stories later, Leila started talking about her parents.

"Where are your parents?" Tess asked, noticing for the first time that no one had been in to see the girl.

"They've been told to stay away, until we have a basis for the case…" Leila muttered, sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

The room fell into awkward silence…

Then Lloyd walked in, with someone stood behind him.

"Scarlet!" Leila yelped, rushing out of her bed to embrace her cellmate.

"They let you out?"

Scarlet laughed and nodded.

"Oh, thank goodness," the girl sighed. She took Scarlet's arm and rolled up the sleeve of her jumper.

"It healed then?"

Scarlet raised her eyebrows and shushed her, nodding.

"Scarlet, what healed? What happened?" Lloyd asked, frantically.

"Nothing, Lloyd- honest," she scowled.

"Scarlet, tell them," Leila urged, "Please tell them, and the police- it will help me."

Scarlet sighed.

"One day, I woke up, hearing our door opening. That officer came in, and dragged Leila from the room. It was too violent, so I got up to help, and her threw me into a wall. It broke my arm, I think, but we couldn't say anything,"

"Or?" Tess asked.

"Or he said he'd kill us…"


	10. Chapter 10

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Ok, the ending of the last chapter sounded unbelievable, but just keep reading, and it will seem less so- honest!**

**-RetardedFish97**

Scarlet and Leila sat side by side on the bed.

"I did get my arm treated, but we told them that I dropped something on it. I don't think they believed me, but…"

"It worked," Leila completed her sentence.

The superintendent had returned as soon as Nick had called her, and was sat listening and writing everything in a little black notebook.

"And how did he threaten to kill you?"

"Well, he sort of implied it. He grabbed Scarlet round the neck, and told her that next time, he wouldn't let go," Leila explained, as Scarlet hung her head. She remembered how she had allowed the officer to make the same threat to a fifteen year old girl, before forcing one of those evil pills down her throat. She was so ashamed.

Lloyd looked angry, and stood protectively behind Scarlet.

Zoe and Tess moved round to comfort them, sitting closer and looking up at the Superintendent.

"Scarlet, do you have any evidence of the attack?" Yvonne asked, looking pointedly at the young woman's neck. Scarlet moved her hair and Leila murmured something to Zoe, who passed her a wipe. Gently, Leila wiped what appeared to be concealer from Scarlet's neck, revealing three, fingerprint shaped purple marks.

Lloyd wrapped his arms around Scarlet, pulling her into a fiercely protective embrace. The superintendent looked concerned, and paused for a moment, before saying:

"I'll need to take photos, but if the DNA comes back positive on the baby, then we'll make this investigation official, and it will get into the papers. Prepare yourself for a bumpy ride…" she sighed, looking at each person in turn, before leaving. Nick followed her from the room.

"Yvonne, are you sure you should be staying on your own tonight- I mean, is it safe?"

"Yes, Nick- I'm fine. But, if you're offering me my first decent cooked meal in what feels like months, then…" she grinned, and the two left the ED together.

Meanwhile, Scarlet, Lloyd, Zoe and Tess were all sat by Leila.

"This is silly," Tess sighed, standing up, "We can't all be in here!"

"Why not? Scarlet ad and I aren't working, so technically there are only two members of staff in here, one nurse, one doctor- which is perfectly okay," Lloyd smiled.

"I guess so," Tess bit her lip, still standing and looking towards the door.

Zoe pulled her back into sitting down again.

"Come on, Tess! It's not exactly busy- is it?" she smiled.

Tess nodded, "I suppose it is quite quiet."

It was as if she'd jinxed it. For, moments later, there was a commotion from outside the door.

Zoe hurried from the room- Nick had left, so whatever was happening was her problem. She saw Noel and Big Mac struggling with a strong, muscular bloke, who was shouting demands.

"I wanna see a doctor!" He yelled. Zoe marched up to him.

"Well, so does everyone else, so wait your turn!"

He tilted his head, cockily, and stepped close, so he towered above her.

"Or what, what you gonna do about it?"

Zoe stepped back, and looked the man straight in the eye.

"Hopefully nothing, now can you just SIT DOWN please?"

He moved closer again. Big Mac pushed him in the chest, forcing him away.

"Either you start showing Dr Hanna some respect, or you can get lost!" he growled.

"If she's a doctor, why can't she help me?" the man scowled.

"Because, and I know this is a difficult concept for people like you- I have important things to do." Zoe argued.

The man drew to his full height, enraged. Moving closer and closer to Zoe, he tilted hishead to one side and grinned menacingly.

"What did you just say?" he asked.

"I think you heard me, sir. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my more gracious patients…"

"You need to watch your mouth," he shouted.

Then, without warning, he swung his fist forward in a powerful punch, smashing it into Zoe's face. Big Mac caught Dr Hanna, and reached out to grab the attacker, but someone had beaten him to it.

For Leila had left her room, despite the pleas of Tess, Lloyd and Scarlet, and had twisted the man's wrist painfully behind his back, and had somehow reached up and grabbed his head, pulling it back so her mouth was level with his ear. She whispered menacingly.

"Listen, mate- I spent two months inside for something I didn't do- and the woman you just hit is the one that saved me. Mess with her, or anyone here again, and you will regret it. Oh, and if you claim a fifteen year old girl beat you in a fight, then threatened you, you won't last one day inside- which is exactly where you're going."

She pushed his head away with immense force, and the security that had finally arrived pulled him away. Zoe had sat up, blood streaming from her nose, and Leila crouched down next to her.

"How did you not see that coming?" she whispered to her, helping her to the nearest cubicle and sitting her on the bed.

"How did you?" Zoe snapped back, hissing in pain as Tess, who had rushed over to join them, cleaned the blood.

"He tensed his fists and relaxed his other muscles- which he'd tensed before."

"Meaning?"

"Tensing your whole body softens any impact- he was expecting you or that other bloke to make the first move. When you didn't, by relaxing he can put more strength behind the punch, and he tensed his fists ready. If you were just clenching your fists in anger, you'd put your thumbs inside, but to punch, you put them outside. I was inside for two months- I saw enough fights to learn what happens."

Zoe nodded.

"And I guess you've been in enough fights to know how to restrain a grown man?"

"No- I've just ended up saving people a few times."

"Like?"

"Like Scarlet, when someone tried to duff her up on her first day… never good!" she smiled.

But the smile was soon wiped from her face, for the man had returned… with a knife.


	11. Chapter 11

**My Heart's Already Broken**

Leila frowned,

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she hissed.

"I'm going to kill you, you, and that bitch of a doctor…" the man growled menacingly, pointing the knife at the girl, then at Zoe.

Tess frowned.

"Sir, if you'd just calm down…"

"Shut up, and get lost, go on, or I'll slit your throat."

Tess hurried from the room, to get security and to get away.

Zoe looked after her, annoyed.

_If she hasn't gone to get help then I'll kill her. And if her kills me, I'll come back as a ghost and kill her._

Leila stood up to her full height, shaking with the pain from her broken bones, and from her aching stomach. She squared up to the man, and looked him right in the face.

"Come on then! Bring it on! But leave Dr Hanna alone, she ain't done nothin' to you."

The man frowned, "I'll stab you, I'll kill you!"

"Well I'm not getting any younger," Leila sighed, spreading her arms out wide, making herself an easy target.

"You won't be getting any older, either!" The man yelled, his voice wavering.

_He'll see what he's doing more clearly, soon. I just have to keep him occupied- he won't hurt Dr Hanna. I won't let him. _Leila thought.

Frowning, the man whispered, "I'll do it, you know!"

"I know."

"Then run! Why aren't you scared?" the man's voice was wavering, and his hands were shaking violently.

"Because you're not scary."

"But I'm going… I'm going… I'm going to kill you!" he yelled. He wasn't right in the head, drink or drugs were blurring his sight of what he was doing.

"Are you?" Leila whispered, her voice more gentle. But his eyes were glazed over. He wasn't listening- he wasn't seeing…

"Yeah!" the man screeched, lurching forward, knife arm outstretched.

The blade plunged into Leila's stomach.

For the next few seconds, everything seemed to be in slow motion. Zoe watched in horror as Leila's knees buckled beneath her, and she sank to the ground. The young girl raised her hands, holding the blade gently as a stream of deep, red blood spilled from the wound. Zoe ignored the blood pouring from her own nose, and ran to Leila's age.

"Help!" she shouted.

She looked the man in the eye. He was shaking and crying.

"What have I done?" he whispered, turning to run.

He ran straight into Dylan, who had Tess stood behind him. The security guards were outside, assuming the man had run there- Dylan had been talking to Noel outside, when Tess asked Noel to call for help. He'd run for the cubicle when he heard the shout.

"Oh, god- Zoe, the police are on their way, erm…" He pulled the man's arm painfully behind his back, and allowed him to squirm in pain as he forced him to see what he had done.

Just then, thankfully, the police, Yvonne along with them, arrived. By now, there was quite a crowd in the tiny cubicle, patients, doctors and nurses, other members of staff and visitors, all trying to help. Dylan thankfully handed the man other, then began to push the crowd back.

"Alright, everyone, can you stand back- please? The girl is fighting for her life, it would help0 if you gave us some room and privacy. Are you filming this?" He shouted.

A young man had been using his phone to capture the gory images. On seeing this, Yvonne snatched the phone from his hand and looked at the footage.

"Thank you, sir- I am now taking this phone for evidence."

She smiled sweetly as he sulked off.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd had dispersed, leaving Zoe, Tess, Scarlet (who had come back to work for the first time,) Yvonne and Nick to take care of the bleeding young girl. Leila looked around her, her vision blurred. Her eyes latched on to Scarlet's,

"S- S- Scarlet?" she whispered. Scarlet was crying slightly, but she nodded.

"Yes," she whispered back.

"How bad is it?"

"It's… it's fine," Scarlet lied, having to look away from the girl. The rest of the hospital staff were busy, moving the young girl to her room- so they could try and save her. Leila looked at Zoe, who met her gaze. Her voice a mere croak, the young girl turned back to Scarlet and whispered.

"Liar." She had a faint smile on her face as the words left her lips, but they still hurt Scarlet so deeply- not because of what she'd said, normally she'd have smiled back- but the young girl had become a good friend of hers. She was hurt because she couldn't comfort her.

"Stay with me?" Leila whispered, looking at Scarlet, then at Zoe.

"Promise," the nurse and doctor whispered together.

Zoe and Scarlet stuck to their word. They had little hope- only that they didn't know the size of the blade, if it was small it might not have done as much. They stuck with her- Zoe trying desperately to heal the gaping wound in the girl's stomach, Scarlet holding her hand tight, even when they had to knock her out. When she was conscious, Scarlet talked to her- mostly about their time sharing a cell. Leila was remembering the first time she saw Scarlet.

"It was… amusing," she croaked.

"What- the bit where I tripped, or the bit where I managed to dump my food ALL OVER that girl?"

"Hmm… both, I guess…" Leila smiled.

"I never thanked you for that," she asked.

"For what?"

"For saving me from being beaten up," sighed Scarlet.

Zoe looked at the pair of them, from where she was attaching spaghetti to Leila's arm and hand.

"How?"

"I..." the girl began, only to fall into her deep, unconscious sleep.

Scarlet continued for her- "She threw her plate across the room. It was only plastic, but she threw it with such force it cut into the girl's forehead, she fell over for a bit. Then all her gang moved in, like a swarm. Leila grabbed my arm and ran with me, very fast, pulling me into a cell. She pressed our beds against the door and leant against it. We ended up chatting for ages before they finally left us alone. We stayed pretty much hidden after that," Scarlet smiled, her eyes sliding down to the pale girl, lying in the bed with her blonde hair spread around her like a white halo. They tried so hard to save her.

But her heart stopped beating.


	12. Chapter 12

**My Hearts Already Broken**

**Thanks for all your lovely reviews! (:**

Zoe started CPR. She didn't stop until Dylan forcibly dragged her from the girl, wrapping her in a restraining embrace. She sobbed into his chest.

"It's okay… it's okay…" he ran his fingers through her hair.

Scarlet had her arms folded on the newly-dead girl's chest, her head rested upon them. Her shoulders shook gently with the each heaving sob.

Nick called the time of death. It was as if someone had dropped a veil of sadness over the room. No one there had an upbeat notion or word to say. Yvonne looked at the floor.

"I'll call the office- tell them it was murder, and I'll contact the family…"

She tiptoed from the room.

Tess pulled Scarlet from the girl, and wrapped her instead in a hug. She could feel the wetness from the young nurse's tears soaking into her shoulder, and sighed. They'd all become so attached to the girl…

Then Zoe pulled away from Dylan.

"We've got to see both cases through to the end now- the prison officer… the murder… and we've got to win them, for Leila- we have to…"

Yvonne had re-entered the room, and upon hearing this, nodded.

"The man who killed her has pleaded not guilty- it's an insanity plea. But he'll be put away for life whatever the case, mark my words."

Then she sighed, and the dark note left her voice.

"As for the prison officer, it'll be more difficult. We've got DNA from the baby, but that's it. You normally need a witness to that sort of thing," She looked defeated.

Scarlet looked up from where she sat. "You… you've got a witness… me."

"What do you mean?"

"She told me about the attacks, remember? I saw him hand her the pills, he threw me against a wall and threatened to kill me. And once I… I…" her voice trailed away.

"You what, Scarlet. What did you see?" Yvonne spoke slowly, calmly demanding the facts.

"I saw him attack her."

A while later, and Scarlet was ready to explain.

"We'd just been put in the same cell, and he… her attacker… he obviously hadn't been told. So he came to our cell, looking for her. For some reason she knew it was him, and pushed me onto the bed, hiding me under the covers and arranging them so it looked empty. There was a gap, I could see out. Then he… well, you know… then afterwards, when he'd left, she told me not to tell anyone. It felt so… intimate, so personal and private, what he did to her, that it didn't feel like my place to tell. I didn't have a chance to, anyhow. He was all we ever saw- it was like… like he'd planned it… I never want to go back there."

Yvonne nodded.

"I honestly don't think you ever will, nurse Conway. We'll need a formal interview. If you'd come with me. Nick, I'll need to…"

"It's okay." He interrupted, and Scarlet followed the superintendent from the room. Dylan wrapped his hand around Zoe's.

"I'll walk you home," he whispered, leading her from the ED.

The next day, Sam returned. She was full of stories of lemurs and tribes, but she didn't want to tell them, not after Leila's death. She had given the necklace she'd brought the young girl to her parents, and they were going to put it on the body before it was buried. She and Zoe went about their work quietly, like robots. There was no emotion, and barely anyone in the ED smiled that day. Sam and Zoe's shifts finished together, and on their way out, Sam ran up behind Zoe and began to talk to her.

"Zoe… look, I'm so sorry about what's happened."

"Sam, I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. DO you want to go for a drink? Mike's working, so is Dylan- and let's face it, being home alone isn't going to help… but, if you don't want to then…"

"Sam! I'll come, jeesh."

Sam smiled, and she and Zoe walked to a nearby pub.

By eleven at night, they were happily drunk. They'd begun to discuss men.

"Mike's great- but he's allergic to lemurs." Sam sighed.

"So?" Zoe smiled.

"So what if I want a pet lemur?"

The two fell about laughing. Then Zoe took over the conversation.

"I'd rather a lemur than that damn dog."

"I know, right. Slobbering thing. I told Dylan I'd shoot it." Sam smiled.

"I wish you had. But then you wouldn't have been able to get a lemur, 'cause you'd get arrested."

Sam laughed again.

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't have that damn dog!"

Zoe smiled. "It's not so bad- but…" Zoe began to laugh again, in the middle of the sentence.

"But what?"

"It still sits up at the dinner table, and sleeps in the bed…"

"uses the bathroom?"

"Yes! I can't stand it." Zoe groaned.

"Let's kidnap it." Sam smirked.

"No…"

"Fine, but if it licks he ONE MORE TIME." Zoe growled. Then the two walked their separate ways, smiling, and travelled home. They were happy for the first time in ages.


	13. Chapter 13

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Enjoy! (This is NOT the end!)**

In the morning, Sam awoke with a groan. Her head hurt… she pressed her hand against it.

"Ouch…"

Sat up in bed and the covers fell off her, she was still fully dressed.

"What the heck?" She murmured.

Her eyes half open, Sam fell back onto the bed and reached out for her phone on her bedside table. Picking it up, she dialled Zoe's number.

Zoe sounded equally as tired and dazed as she answered it.

"Sam? What happened last night, I… I woke up on my sofa, fully dressed with a headache. How drunk did we get?"

"Very…" Sam groaned. Then, in the silence that followed, Sam heard a snuffling noise, and the covers moved.

"Oh, my god…" Sam gasped, rolling over in bed.

"I couldn't have been that drunk… OH MY GOD."

"Sam, what is it?"

"There's something in the covers next to me!" She gasped, trying not to wake… whoever.

Zoe burst out laughing.

"Oh, my, god- you didn't!"

Sam frowned and growled- "Zoe, when I get rid of… them… and get to work, you are BEYOND dead."

Zoe drew in a deep breath and brushed the covers from the form next to her.

"Jesus Christ!" Sam shrieked, awaking the figure sleeping next to her.

Zoe laughed harder.

"Laugh all you want Zoe, but you and I are both in DEEP trouble…"

"What?" she giggled.

"It's Dylan's bloody dog!"

"No…" Zoe gasped.

"We actually did kidnap it, didn't we?" Sam gasped.

"Now what?" Zoe was beginning to panic.

"I have NO idea…" Sam sighed, looking at the large, drooling mutt beside her,

"But if you're not here in ten minutes I'm giving it coffee and leaving it in your flat, understood?"

"Understood…" Zoe sighed, slamming the phone down and getting up to leave.

When she arrived, she was greeted by a scene that made her laugh. Sam had locked the dog away- in a very small dog cage. The animal whined, and Sam glared at it. Pointing a finger into the dog's face, she hissed:

"Shut it, you."

Zoe walked in.

"Sam, I'm not sure that cage is big enough!"

"I'm not sure your brain's big enough, but there we go… We got it when she was a puppy, okay?"

Sam growled. Then the phone rang.

Looking at the caller ID, Sam bit her lip.

"It's Dylan!"

She reached out to answer it, then Zoe caught hold of her arm.

"He'll be asking about the dog! Don't answer it!" she hissed.

Sam listened as it switched to answer phone.

"Hi Sam, its Dylan. I was just wondering if you had Zoe's phone number, do you…"

Sam picked up the phone.

"Er, yes, Dylan- I do. Sorry, I was… busy. It's: 44 737 66 130, ok?"

"Erm, yes, well… thank you, Sam."

Then Zoe's phone rang. She answered it, nervously.

"Zoe, erm- after last night, um… the dog's not here today- can you come round?"

"Er… yes, okay Dylan. After work?"

"Um, yeah, uh… okay…" Dylan murmured.

"Okay, bye Dylan," Zoe said, false happiness in her voice. She hung up.

"Oh, crap- what do we do now?" Zoe asked.

"What did he say?"

"That the dog was gone and could I come round?" She groaned.

"Okay, what do we do?"

"Hide the thing- and Sam, get it a bigger cage, would you?" Zoe smirked, leaving for work.

"THANKS FOR THE HELP! THIS IS YOUR FAULT TOO YOU KNOW!" Sam shouted after her.

"Ugh…" she turned back to the dog.

"Right, what do I do with you?"

Zoe arrived at work, but Dylan wasn't there. When she asked Noel, he told her that Dylan had asked for the day off today. Great- he was out looking for the dog, she was sure.

"Noel, I know this is a silly question- but how did he sound, on the phone?"

"Like Dylan?" Noel suggested, helpfully. Seeing Zoe's I-will-kill-you-if-you-don't-tell-me-NOW glare, he told her the truth.

"He sounded odd- upset, really." Noel explained, and Zoe groaned, hurrying off to her patients. She automatically went to Leila's room, but, remembering she wasn't in there, turned away sadly. She went about her job tired and annoyed. She went to Sam's before going and facing Dylan.

"What the HECK have you done?" Zoe laughed, bemused and amazed.

Sam was sat, cross legged on the floor, with the dog in front of her. At least, she thought it was the dog.

"Sam, if you've killed that mangy mutt then…"

"What?"

"It looks nothing like her!"

"Well it is her! Dylan just doesn't look after her properly…" Sam smiled, stroking the dog's head affectionately.

"Dylan's a bloke, Sam. Blokes don't… what exactly HAVE you done to that poor dog?"

The 'poor dog' seemed perfectly happy. She had obviously been washed and brushed, and dressed in a scarf, hat and gloves. Sam had sat her next to a mini Christmas tree, and covered the floor in cotton wool. Seeing a pile of photos on the sofa, Zoe picked them up and flicked through them.

"So, Sam- instead of coming up with a military-style plan to get us out of trouble… you've held a doggy fashion shoot?"

"Er, yeah. Basically…" Sam said, slightly concerned.

"Great. Now what?"

"Erm- right. You, er… go to Dylan's and pretend that nothing has happened. I'll keep the dog here and then… oh, I don't know. Just… don't say anything, okay? Good luck!" Sam smiled, pushing Zoe out the door and into her car, then retreating back inside.

When Zoe arrived, Dylan opened the door and came out to her car, holding flowers and chocolate.

"What the heck…?" Zoe murmured to herself, as he opened the car door for her.

"Er, Zoe… hi… these are for you!" He gave them to her.

"Oh, erm… thanks, Dylan… er, why?"

"Because I… erm, well… I… love you… I guess." He shrugged, awkwardly.

"That's very sweet of you, Dylan… I love you too!" Zoe smiled, feeling awkward.

Why wasn't he crying about that damn dog?

Dylan ushered her inside, took her coat and pulled a seat out at the dining table. There was a plate of curry and rice in front of her, and another across the table, for Dylan. She smiled, seeing this, and texted Sam while Dylan was fetching a bottle of wine.

"He's being weird. I'm confused now!"

After the meal, Dylan looked Zoe in the eye as took her hand.

"Look, Zoe, after your call last night…"

"WHAT CALL!?" Zoe asked. That was when she was drunk… what the hell did she say?

"The one where, um… you told me that you were sick of the dog being more important than you, and that you wanted one date without her, and that you were thinking about leaving me and…"

"Dylan, I was drunk! I was with Sam- I don't even remember calling you. I wouldn't leave you over a dog, I… I love you, Dylan…" She explained.

"Oh… you wouldn't? You do?"

"No, yes… oh, shut up…" Zoe sighed, kissing Dylan.

"I must say, it was kind of Sam to offer to look after the dog for me…"

"She offered?"

"Yes."

"Uh, right… just let me make a call," Zoe grinned.

Sam picked up her phone.

"Sam- we didn't kidnap the dog! YOU offered to look after her… god, you were pissed…"

Sam sighed with relief.

"Never again."

"Never," Zoe agreed.

"It would be stupid…"

"Foolish!"

"Idiotic?" Sam suggested.

"Exactly."

"We're more mature than that." Zoe pointed out.

"Yeah- from now on, we'll be sensible." Sam agreed.

"Exactly,"

"Er… Sam?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go for a drink tomorrow night?"


	14. Chapter 14

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Thanks for all the reviews! (:**

The next day at work, Sam and Zoe met in the staff room.

"Was it better, without the dog?"

Zoe smiled and nodded.

"You better bloody well have- that dog ruined my scarf!"

"You shouldn't have dressed her up then, should you?" Zoe laughed.

"Yeah, well… I kind of missed her. I had to give her back today…" Sam frowned.

"Aw… boo hoo!"

Just then, Zoe looked out the window.

"Scarlet's back… we'd better go talk to her…"

When she saw them, Scarlet cowered away slightly.

"How'd it go?" Sam asked.

"Bad. I kept… forgetting, I guess…" Scarlet smiled weakly.

"It doesn't matter! You were so brave, Scarlet, honestly. You reacted to all this much better than us…" Zoe smiled. Sam hit her on the arm.

Scarlet bit her lip quietly, still hoping for an answer.

Just then, Dylan appeared behind them.

"They got drunk and convinced themselves that they kidnapped my dog…"

Scarlet smiled at him, more so when Zoe and Sam pushed him away, making noises of annoyance.

Just then, Nick Jordan approached the group.

"Scarlet, Sam, Zoe- I felt it was my duty to tell you that they've made an arrest. Leila's attacker will be in court as soon as possible. I felt it was my duty to tell you."

"Okay, erm… thanks." Zoe smiled, tiredly. This whole court case idea had made everyone feel down. Nick felt bad leaving the group, but he had a hospital to run.

Zoe turned to Scarlet and Sam-

"Right, we'd better go doctor/nurse people… or, y'know… people will… die. People will die. So, erm, let's go."

The group dispersed, nervous about the upcoming court case. At the end of the day, Nick asked that Dixie, Jeff, Sam, Scarlet, Zoe and Dylan all met him in the staff room.

Dylan and Zoe were the first to arrive.

"What do you think's going on?" Dylan asked.

Jeff and Dixie walked in.

"What does Jordan want us all for?"

"I have no idea." Zoe replied. The four discussed possibilities for a while, then Sam joined them.

"Yep, I'm right." Jeff sighed.

"About what?" Asked Sam, wearily.

"I said that Jordan wanted us in here because we were all in trouble. But, if there's trouble, you'd be involved… but now you're here, I know we're in trouble…"

Sam shoved him.

Then, Scarlet hurried in, blood splattered over her usually pristine nurses uniform-

"What's going on?"

"If only we knew," Zoe replied, "Rough day?"

"Yeah. Rough day, exploding blood, the usual…" Scarlet sighed.

"Want to talk about it?" Sam asked, sitting Scarlet down on one of the sofas, sitting next to her.

"Not really…"

"Are you sure?" Zoe asked, sitting on the other side. Jeff and Dixie sat in the chairs nearby and Dylan hovered near the group.

"Did something go wrong? Because Nick isn't here, and whatever you've done can't be as bad as kidnapping a dog whilst heavily drunk." Sam asked, glaring at Dylan for giving that away. Dixie and Jeff raised their eyebrows at each other.

"It was bad all day. An elderly patient passed away, um… a little kid came in and wouldn't let me take a blood sample he kept kicking me and his parents didn't help... Hence this, and the bruising I now have over my arms and neck. Oh, and Lloyd's ill."

Everyone grimaced sympathetically, but Nick had just entered the room… with Yvonne behind him.

"What the hell have you done…?" Jeff whispered to Sam.

She hit him.

"I felt it was my duty to inform you," Yvonne explained, "That the police officer in question has pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, one of supplying illegal drugs- we can't find a way of making what he did to her baby illegal. The drunken man who killed Leila has been convicted of her murder. He's been sentenced to a minimum of twenty-four years inside."

The whole room smiled.

"Yes…" Sam hissed.

"Hope he rots…" Jeff and Dixie nodded.

Scarlet was just crying quietly, happy that justice had been done. Zoe and Sam wrapped their arms round her to comfort her.

When Nick and Yvonne had left, Zoe looked up.

"Who's still working?"

Dylan, Jeff and Dixie all raised their hands or nodded, then left.

"Right, so that leaves… erm… us. Fancy a drink, Scarlet?"

"Er, yeah- are you sure?" She asked, quietly confused.

"No, we were asking just to let you down again." Sam smirked… Zoe hit her gently.

"Of course you can come, Scarlet- would you like to?"

"Erm, yes please," Scarlet smiled, unsure.

The three left together, smiling- to celebrate justice for their Leila.

**Hope you enjoyed, this is NOT the end (:**


	15. Chapter 15

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Thanks to everyone for your reviews (: x**

Sam and Zoe dragged Scarlet through the doors of the bar and forced a drink into her hand.

"What is it?" she asked nervously, half-afraid of the women who were meant to be in charge of her.

Zoe smiled.

"A drink, dumbass! Now would you stop looking at us like we're going to eat you alive any second? It's putting me off MY drink."

Sam took pity on Scarlet.

"It's fine, Scarlet- white wine and lemonade, I'm paying."

"You don't have to do that!" Scarlet exclaimed.

"Well I am, so shut up." Sam smiled, drinking her own drink.

She turned and saw Zoe ordering another drink.

"Careful, Zoe- I am NOT paying for yours… and do you really want to get dog-kidnap-pissed again?"

"Yes…" Zoe smiled, "We're meant to be celebrating!"

Sam rolled her eyes, and ordered another drink for herself. She saw that Scarlet hadn't touched her own.

"What's up, don't like it?"

"No, it's not that… I just… I don't want to… lose control of myself, y'know… like before…"

"You won't, Scarlet, trust me. You're not like that, you just lost it…"

"And ended up in prison!" Scarlet complained.

"Scarlet, you didn't do much, if you think about it!" Zoe argued.

"A woman suffered third degree burns and may never work again."

"You didn't light that fire, Scarlet. You'd never do that… you threw a rock at a heavily armoured police officer and nicked some shoes." Zoe said, her voice soothing and calm.

"But…"

"But I paid for that drink, and if it's not gone soon then I'll be annoyed," Sam smiled.

Just then, Mike appeared behind her.

"Hello, hello, hello!" he smiled, wrapping his arms around Sam. She smiled and leant her head back slightly, resting it on his chest.

"Hello you… do you know that you have the worst timing known to man?" she grinned up at him.

"No, why?" Mike's face was innocent and confused.

"Because Scarlet here has just come out of jail, she's worried about getting drunk. But she's a lovely person, Mike, and it was just a one off… please help us?"

Mike smiled, and removed his arms from Sam's neck to stand in front of Scarlet. She was focusing on her hands- which lay in her lap- trying to ignore him.

"Hey," Mike whispered, crouching down to look her in the eyes.

She turned her head to look away.

"I know you, don't I? I saw you on your first day, and do you know what my guvnor said to me?"

Scarlet shook her head, still not meeting his eyes.

"He said- 'She's no criminal. I was in the court, and do you know what? She was truly sorry, and I believed everything she said. She doesn't belong inside- and the judge knew it. She won't be here for more than a month. And how long were you there for?"

"Two and a half months." Scarlet met his eyes for the first time.

Zoe nudged her, "Yeah, because that ass of a prison officer saw to it."

Sam joined in, "Mike's right! Now stop fussing, and start drinking. And _you," _she poked Mike's chest with her finger, smiling. He caught hold of it, laughing.

"I'm going, I'm going…" he smiled, leaving the pub with a grin.

Zoe was on her third drink by then, and giggling like a lunatic.

Sam frowned at her, "Zoe, we're meant to be encouraging Scarlet to drink. You giggling like a loon won't help!"

"Shut up, lemur-hugger," Zoe giggled.

"Not funny."

"Lemur-hugger!"

"Okay, now you're getting childish." Sam frowned.

Scarlet giggled at the two of them, still not touching her drink.

Sam frowned at her for a bit, then turned and whispered something to the barman.

"Alright then," he laughed, raising his eyebrows and turning away.

He returned with three, tall shot glasses filled with a clear, white liquid.

"You're kidding, right? You are kidding!" Scarlet exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Sam grinned at her.

"It's up to you, but nope! Zoe, before you get your SIXTH glass of wine, take that."

Zoe picked it up and looked at it.

"Really, Sam?" she grinned.

Sam picked up her own glass and nodded, smiling. Scarlet tentatively picked up one of the tiny glasses, and Zoe grabbed the last one.

"Three, two, one… go!" Zoe called, and the three drained their glasses.

Zoe had a coughing fit, much to the amusement of Sam and Scarlet. Sam's eyes were watering slightly, but Scarlet seemed completely fine. Once Zoe had finished dying, she looked up at Scarlet in amazement.

"How can you NOT be in pain? That was hideous! Eugh, Sam, what did you make me drink?"

"Alcohol?" Sam grinned.

"It tasted like petrol!"

"How do you know what petrol tastes like?" Scarlet smiled, feeling part of the group for the first time that evening.

Zoe glared at her, but before she could say anything, she erupted into another coughing fit.

Just then, three men sauntered over to the bar.

"Whoa, ladies- stick to the white wine, leave this stuff to the real men…"

"Oh, okay, do you know any, I'll buy them a drink!" Sam scowled.

One stepped closer to her,

"Ouch- fancy a dance, sweetheart?"

Sam shoved him with all her might, sending him clattering into a table.

"Do NOT call me sweetheart."

The other two men laughed at him.

"How many times, Jack? Girls like that, are not going to want… that."

Scarlet smirked at him.

"Girls like that, also don't like being seen as objects- especially by men like you."

"And what are we like, sweetheart?"

"Condescending, irritating, weak, useless and who probably can't manage more than two pints of cider." She smiled, tilting her head to one side.

"Is that a challenge?" the one she had been talking to asked.

"Yeah, I think it was," Scarlet smiled.

"Fine- whoever can manage the most shots of… whatever that was, wins."

"Okay, and loser pays for the winner's group's drinks for the rest of the night."

Zoe pulled a 'seriously?' face, and Sam spun Scarlet round to face her.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me- and I'll pay if I lose," Scarlet explained, and Sam rolled her eyes.

"Okay… don't blame me if it kills you."

The two parties gathered round the table, and the guy Scarlet had challenged ordered the first two drinks.

"Ready?" he smirked.

"More than you." Scarlet replied.

"Three, two, one- go!"

Scarlet didn't even react; it was as if it had been water. The man across the table tried to swallow his pain, but his eyes still watered and his mouth burned. He still ordered two more.

"One, two, three- go!" the crowd cheered, Sam and Zoe raising their eyebrows at each other- could Scarlet actually win this?

Yet again, Scarlet drank hers without fear, but this time she did gulp a bit at the taste. It wasn't as bad as his reaction- he was coughing and retching. Sam and Zoe stood closer to Scarlet, holding her shoulders.

"Come on, Scarlet!" Sam whispered.

Two more drinks, not that it mattered! Scarlet was clearly in the lead, and right now, her opponent had tears rolling down his cheeks and his face was bright red.

"What even is that?" he choked.

The bartender came over, with six more shots.

"s'called 'Can You Take The Heat?' and it's like juiced chillies and vodka."

"Like?" Scarlet smirked.

"Well it is. And I reckon this is all that it'll take for you," he nodded at Scarlet, "to knock _him_ out."

He left them to it.

He was right. After six drinks, he coughed, spluttered, and sank beneath the table, his eyes watering and groaning in pain. When he had finally climbed from beneath the table, he sank back into his chair.

"You win."


	16. Chapter 16

**My Heart's Already Broken**

**Okay, here it is- the penultimate chapter, and the last 'drunk' chapter of this book. I'm considering writing a whole fanfiction of one-shots, with different members of ED staff- mainly Zoe and Sam, and funny things that happen when they're drunk! (comment on if you think this is a good/bad idea ) But before that, I've got to finish this and Silent Screams, and write yet another Casualty idea (:**

Zoe awoke with misty eyes, her head agony.

"Yikes, how drunk did I get?"

Her eyes widened as she remembered the events of the day after the last time she and Sam got drunk. She rolled over to check the bed next to her was empty. It was.

"See- getting drunk and not kidnapping dogs is easy! Time to phone Sam and tell her," Zoe grinned, reaching out for the phone next to her. She dialled Sam's number.

"Hey Sam!"

"Zoe, is that you? I'm sorry, I didn't recognise you when your voice wasn't slurred and you were making sense…" Sam smirked to herself, sarcastically.

"Jeesh, how bad was I?"

"Pretty bad- especially after Scarlet won that drinking game- we ordered a bottle of champagne, I had two glasses and you drank the rest, Scarlet just had a few more white wine and lemonades- she quite liked them, after all! So, at the end of the night, wonder-drunk (Scarlet) was drunk, but she could still walk in the straight line and never puked once; I was near-sober, as I was trying to avoid another dog-kidnap-that-turns-out-to-be-doggy-childcare incident but you… you were beyond the valley of the drunk and into the sea of the clinically insane. But I don't remember much, near-sober actually turned out to be drunk enough. But anyway, I've checked my house for borrowed dogs, hobos and lemurs and I'm glad to say it's free of anything amiss."

"Great. But what do I do about my headache?" Zoe groaned.

"Zoe, you're a doctor too, you should know…" Sam argued.

"Sam, it may amaze you to know but unlike some I do not steal expensive painkillers from work."

"Nor do I!" Sam growled.

"Oh really?" Zoe asked, getting up and checking her flat for 'anything amiss' as Sam had said.

"REALLY!" Sam shouted, deliberately aggravating Zoe's headache. Zoe yelped and dropped the phone, then scooped it back up again with a groan.

"Fine, fine- I surrender, please, just save me from my murderous headache."

"Take a bath, it helps apparently!"

"Thanks…" Zoe muttered, trudging over to her bathroom. She opened the door and screamed, dropping the phone again.

Sam burst out laughing.

"Aw, have you ended up with Dylan's dog this time?"

"No, Sam- but if you're not over here in five minutes…"

"You're feeding it coffee and leaving it at my house?" Sam suggested. Zoe could hear the smile in her voice and growled.

"Yes. And I hope it eats you."

"Zoe, what exactly is it that you've found?"

"There's a crocodile in my bathtub!" Zoe yelled.

Sam burst out laughing… Zoe hung up.

A few minutes later, Sam arrived with a net and the dog cage- and Scarlet behind her.

"Guess where I found wonder drunk?" Sam grinned.

Scarlet blinked, "Wonder… wonder what?"

"Wonder Drunk. It's Sam's nickname for you after you won that drinking game and walked away unfazed and in a straight line. How much CAN you drink, anyhow? I had a bottle of champagne and a lot of wine; I find a crocodile in my bath. You have the shots from hell, and wake up hangoverless and… what were you doing?"

"She was on a ten km jog to the ED to pick up something she left there, she left her house at eight in the morning. How do you do it?" Sam asked Scarlet.

"I don't know! We just sort of… discovered it, when I was studying to be a nurse. We were skint, and I used my 'talent' to make sure we never had to pay on a night out."

"Who's we?" Zoe asked.

"Me and some of my friends- anyway, onto the elephant in the room," Scarlet began.

"Don't you mean crocodile in the bath?" Sam laughed.

Zoe hit her.

Zoe described the crocodile to them, and they established that the crocodile wasn't that big. It wasn't a baby, either. It was a bit like a teenage crocodile, actually.

"Great, it's hormonal and grumpy." Zoe sighed when Sam suggested it.

"Where did you get it?" Sam asked.

Scarlet looked thoughtful.

"Well, I walked home before Dr Hanna…"

"Zoe…" Zoe interrupted, "We're not at work now," She smiled.

"and you, Dr Nichols," Scarlet paused, waiting to be interrupted.

"What? Oh, I'd rather you called me that- you said Zoe's name like you were frightened she'd kill you for saying it, so whatever you prefer."

"Okay, so both of you stayed at the bar when I left to meet Lloyd, but before then you'd been talking about getting a pet crocodile, and as you walked past the zoo on your way here, I guess…"

Sam burst into yet more laughter.

"But you walked home with Dr Hanna, so…" Scarlet smiled.

Sam and Zoe looked at each other.

"We stole a crocodile from the local zoo. Why, exactly?" Sam sighed.

"Because Zoe… Dr Hanna… had had an argument with Jeff and Dixie, so she thought it would make a great addition to their ambulance."

"Oh, that was nothing! We were only joking!" Zoe exclaimed.

"Yeah, and you were when you mentioned the crocodile! But when you must have taken it a bit too far…"

"Too damn right- there's a crocodile in my bath tub."

Just then, the phone rang. It was Jeff and Dixie, calling in their ten minute break. They were holding the phone between them. Zoe put the phone on speaker, this is what everyone heard:

"Dr Hanna, hi! How are things? Everything okay…" the sound of laughter escaped the phone, and then a clatter. They'd laughed so much, they'd dropped the phone. When she thought they'd picked it back up, Sam grabbed the phone.

"Jeff, Dixie- what's going on?"

"Haven't you found it yet?" Dixie asked.

"The crocodile?"

"Yeah, the toy crocodile."

"You what?" Sam frowned.

"The toy crocodile, the one in Dr Hanna's bathtub? Because she was joking about putting one in the ambulance, and we put it there to convince you that you'd all stolen it. So, April Fools! Oh, by the way, Nurse Conway helped."

Scarlet smiled, "I'd better go," she mouthed, leaving quickly.

"Dixie, Jeff- I'll tell you everything when I get to work, but right now, I have to kill Zoe…"


	17. Chapter 17

**My Heart's Already Broken**

Once Sam had finished hitting Zoe with a toy crocodile, they collapsed onto the sofa.

"Well, that was childish." Sam sighed.

"What the 'joke'?"

"Yeah."

"Mm. It was immature," Zoe agreed.

"April fool's day prank?" Sam smirked.

"I know, you'd have thought they'd have outgrown that."

"Mmm, it's pathetic really."

"Sam?" Zoe grinned, "How do we get them back?"

The two doctors arrived at work later, grinning. They caught sight of their target and moved in quickly, checking for irritating paramedics as they moved.

"Scarlet!" Sam smiled.

Scarlet looked nervous, "Dr Nichols, Dr Hanna…"

"What's all this about you helping with a certain crocodile?" Zoe smiled.

"Oh, that…"

"Yes, that," Zoe smirked.

"Now, here's the deal," Sam smiled sweetly, something uncommon for her. It made Scarlet nervous.

"Right, you take that to Jeff and Dixie, and we'll say no more about Mr Snappy," Zoe smirked, offering Scarlet a box of doughnuts.

"What's in them?"

"That's for us to know and you to find out," Zoe smiled.

"Tell them you want to celebrate the prank on us and eat the one with the chocolate, okay?" Sam instructed, and the two doctors hurried off to work their shifts.

Scarlet approached the two paramedics in their lunch break.

"Hey, I thought after last night, we could use these! And, I thought we could celebrate the whole crocodile thing."

"Okay… but you eat one first, I want to be SURE this isn't a joke."

Scarlet opened the box, and took the chocolate one, just like Sam had said. She bit it tentatively, relieved to find that it was fine.

"Alright then, thanks!" Dixie smiled, and took the box from Scarlet's hand. She stayed with them, and watched as they both bit into what looked like jam ones.

"Argh!" Jeff exclaimed, covering his mouth. Dixie made a similar groan.

"Eugh, it's chilli!" she cried, dropping the remainder of her doughnut in the box. Jeff did the same and the both of them left to find water. Scarlet moved closer to the box, and sure enough, what she had once thought to be jam turned out to be chilli sauce.

Scarlet smiled to herself.

Once Sam and Zoe had found out what happened, they smiled to each other and laughed. Every time they saw Jeff or Dixie, they waved, smiling. But eventually they stopped frowning, and started waving back, with equally sarcastic grins. Then Sam and Zoe got nervous.

"What do you reckon they've done, or are doing?"

"Or are going to do?" Sam suggested.

"Yeah," Zoe nodded.

"Something childish and mean?"

"Well, obviously, but what?"

"Um… let's check our lockers…"

The two doctors checked their lockers, and were glad to find that they were empty. They went about their jobs feeling better, and were about to leave when a clatter, followed by a shout, disturbed them. They ran to the source of the sound, were the locker room was, and were surprised to see Jeff and Dixie running in the same direction. Not as surprised as the paramedics were to see Sam and Zoe.

"If you're here, then who…" Dixie whispered, opening the door.

To see Nick Jordan, stood amongst what was once the staffroom, but was now a mess of streamers, ping pong balls and balloons.

"Mr Jordan!" Dixie exclaimed.

"Ah, Dixie, Jeff- I don't suppose you have an explanation for… this, do you?"

"It was meant for Dr Hanna and Dr Nichols, Mr Jordan."

Dixie bit her lip.

"Oh, because that makes it all okay, does it?!" Nick exclaimed.

"Sorry, Mr Jordan…"

"Yeah, sorry…"

The two paramedics hung their heads, trying not to laugh.

"Great. Someone tell me how I ended up with overgrown school children for staff, will you?"

Just then, Tess walked in behind them.

"Aw, that's a bit harsh, isn't it?" She smiled, walking to her own locker. It was next to Nick's. Sam and Zoe raised their eyebrows, looking pointedly from the two paramedics, to Tess, to the lockers then back. Dixie and Jeff raised their eyebrows, confused. Then it sank in. They tried to stop Tess, but it was too late. The events of two minutes ago repeated themselves, but with Tess, not Nick, as the victim.

"EEK!" Tess squealed, as the sheer amount of stuff, and the shock, knocked her off her feet. Zoe and Sam laughed, looking at the shocked, worried and angry looks on the paramedics faces.

"Right, then- Tess, Mr Jordan, Jeff, Dixie- we'd love to stay longer, but we're arranging a party for Leila's victory, to which you and Tess are welcome, Mr Jordan- and Jeff and Dixie… if you survive."

They ran from the room.

The party was at a bar nearby, not the one where they had gone before- they didn't want to risk getting dog-kidnap/crocodile-in-the-bath drunk. They draped streamers around a long table, and invited everyone who knew Leila. It was a sad, happy end to a sad, happy story.

**So, what do you think of the story? Review all three chapters uploaded today please, and follow and favourite x**


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